


For The Lump That Sits Inside Your Throat

by mitochondrials



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Breaking Up & Making Up, M/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-13 04:55:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12976413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mitochondrials/pseuds/mitochondrials
Summary: Tony's panicked about telling Bucky he's gotten pregnant a month later after a night of drunken sex together. One, because they're not exactly exclusive yet; and two, because he'd never actually explained to Bucky that he was trans.When he finally gets the courage to, Bucky dumps him. But not for the reasons Tony fears why; it's far more convoluted than all that.





	For The Lump That Sits Inside Your Throat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [camichats](https://archiveofourown.org/users/camichats/gifts).



Tony sucked in a breath.

He’d been trying to avoid this. Well, that wasn’t it exactly. He’d desperately wanted to avoid the situation.  He curled himself under the little canopy on his couch, nestled discreetly in the shadows of his workshop. He was idly resting a hand on his stomach.

He was pregnant.

Being terrified was an understatement.

See, he’d never planned to be a father. His life as a superhero was already exhausting, and that was before the long hours working alongside Pepper at Stark International. Children were exhausting, as he fondly remembered being a child. He was fussy and intelligent, and very, very bored of traditional child things. Because, of course, children generally were never as stupid as their parents, as every other misinformed adult seemed to believe.

That wasn’t what he was scared of. It hurt just to imagine becoming his father. Howard was tolerant, but only to a certain point. (”I don’t care what you want to be called”, Howard had said too many times. “Eventually you’ll have to pick up the slack and do something with yourself other than drag me into your venture-less side projects.”) Otherwise his father was cold and critical at the best of times, and physically violent at the worst of times. Sometimes, he’d catch himself questioning, what-if? All those potential moments, all of his fruitless, desperate yearning for his father’s approval.

At first, he debated whether to keep his…his child or to abort. There was adoption, and there were orphanages, several of them privatized and of all them a fate he couldn't bear to unleash upon his own flesh and blood. This child was his, all his! He wanted them more than anything, more than he could have imagined wanting anything else. He hadn't even had a proper pregnancy test done yet. He wasn't that kind of doctor, but he knew. Oh, he knew.

It was all too easy to tell, from the nausea to the ten pounds he'd put on in the last month alone. Most of it accumulated around his thighs and stomach, and it was definitely hard to ignore the round, tender plumpness of his chest. He was vaguely aware that happened when you were pregnant; the whole fattening up for the baby thing. Except, you know, he'd gone a whole twenty years adoring his top surgery scars every day in the mirror. So yeah, he knew. The irony of it was there wasn't any possibility to produce milk after a procedure like that, stupid pregnancy hormones! The baby would have to make due with formula.

His true fear—his true was trying to figure out how he was gonna tell Bucky. 

The first time in months he’d let himself have a little bit of unsupervised fun, he’d gone and gotten fresh with his on again, off again crush. …Er, possible boyfriend? They’d only been on a few dates here and there, sharing awkward cuddles on the couch during team movie nights and the like. Bucky was bound to notice something was off, right? Also,  Bucky was more likely to notice Tony had been conveniently using Steve as a scapegoat in order to avoid him for over a week now.

Tony was dying of guilt from it. He'd succumbed to letting Dum-E toss his phone around just so he could also avoid looking at the flashing light indicating recently missed messages. What he couldn't see couldn't hurt him and all that jazz. Then because he was truly a coward, he went the extra step by having Friday redirect any of Bucky's requests to come by and visit him.  As far as Bucky was concerned, he didn't exist besides the team's subtle awareness of him using the specialized dumbwaiter to deliver himself dinner.

"Ugh," He scoffed. It wasn't like he wanted to be all locked away like this. But unfortunately, Bruce was off somewhere and kept extending the time he was going to be away. It was worse that Bruce liked to be a minimalist while he was away, too, so all of Tony's long, drawn out complaints went ignored for months at a time. Thor was off the freaking planet seemingly always. Which, okay, Tony mostly understand the reasoning behind it. He was semi-jealous already because as much as the open blankness of space petrified him, he still hoped to explore the better, bigger and brighter parts of it. Thor would have been his preferable option to talk to, jealousy aside. Don't let those rippling pectorals fool you, Thor was level-headed as they come, and gentler than you'd expect. 

Natasha and Clint were the last two people he’d confide in. While he was still barely on speaking terms with Hawkass, Natasha wasn’t really someone you’d pegged as maternal. She’d check up on him, sure. He appreciated her concern, but her method was more on the tough love side of things, as she was more inclined to threaten you to take care of yourself than to baby you through it. 

Rhodey was gonna lose his mind after he honest-to-god punched Tony in the jaw first. Pepper … Pepper was a whole other story. The both of them were tired of the Avenger's nonsense, really. Tony would like to think to have a baby and international law might be considered a bit separate from each other, and yet there he was. Technically, the world had a right to be pissed off, but Tony was occasionally tired of having his entire life open to being smeared on the front pages of the tabloids.

Being trans somehow managed to stay under wraps. Probably most of the team, and even what was left of Shield hadn't a clue. Natasha sure as hell didn't, not when he adamantly kept watch on Shield's servers all these years. But telling the team meant eventually telling the world. And, yes, he knew getting pregnant wasn't any kind of failure; still didn't make the world entitled to the most intimate details of his whole life. Actually, once upon a time he only dreamed of going public with it, after his fallout as a weapons designer and manufacturer. Yet it always seemed like he was destined to be on the world's shit list; reinforcing his belief that coming out would just make other trans people's lives harder. 

The reality of it wouldn't stop him from also believing that it was just nothing more than an excuse. He did have one of the best legal teams known to man, didn't he? 

“Fri, is James home?” He asked, resting a hand on his head as he lied upright on his back comfortably against the mattress. 

"James is currently out running another marathon with Mr. Wilson, Boss," Friday answered promptly. "Mr. Rogers is, lucky enough for you, currently cooking himself and Ms. Romanov a late lunch."

“Mr. Rogers?” Tony couldn’t help but snort. “You’re still on about that?” Leave it to Friday to devise the sickest burn featuring Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, a vital piece of Steve’s pop culture history the man had been sorely lacking. “Great, yeah. Invite  _ Mr. Rogers _ on over, would you?”

He didn't always wanna rely on Steve because somehow he was always relying on Steve. They strived so hard to be a team again after their so-called "Civil War". He had hoped to have their friendship back, and Steve managed to give him something better. They were almost as close as he was with his Rhodey. Yet, he couldn't say they were like brothers. Steve simply was just his dearest, most treasured friend. It definitely could be overwhelming, regardless.

Ten minutes later Steve arrived, complete with a tray of pancakes and the biggest mug of coffee Tony already knew he couldn't drink. Babies and caffeine, not a good mix. Babies and almost everything worth eating wasn't a good mix, honestly. Jesus, it'd be far, far too long since he allowed himself to even smell that sweet, decadent aroma. Steve was such a bastard, dammit!

(Seriously, it’s been, like, a good two weeks now.)

So Tony said, “You bastard. You absolute utter bastard! Get that wonderful, divine elixir away from me before I do something we’ll all regret!” He might have whined there, just a bit.

Steve, meanwhile, just quirked a curious brow, and snatched the mug for himself without so much as a thought. “If you’re going to be ungrateful, sure.”

Tony squawked. “I am never ungrateful! I just can’t have any!”

That gave Steve pause, “You, the great caffeine junky of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?”

Tony merely raised his hands in surrender. “Yes, yes. I—he who adores my hourly cup of joe, must humbly inform you that for the next year or so, cannot consume the meaning of which I live.”

Cue, now, Steve hastily setting his mug down to circle round and pull Tony up from the bed into a close embrace with an oomph!

Tony could never tell who was worse when it came to physical affection, Steve or Sam. Yes, Sam. While he and bird boy had their hurdles rebuilding their relationship, Sam was still warm and caring. Thor was the best hugger of them all, though. Sorry, not sorry Sam. (Dammit Tony, pine for Thor later!)

“What’s wrong?” Steve asked, frowning slightly. 

“Calm down, calm down. It’s, uh. Listen, the world isn’t ending. Maybe.” Tony said, trying to sound reassuring. Except, huh. The epic pout Steve was giving him made him wanna reevaluate his poor choice of words. “Let’s rephrase that: The world’s perfectly fine. As perfectly perfect as we can keep it. It’s more like my world all turned upside down. Bit of happy,  _ bit of I have no idea what I’m doing help me _ .”

“Tony, what—”

"I'm pregnant! Surprise!" Tony cheered, outstretching his arms while taking a strategic step back, flopping back onto the bed in a dramatic display. "Welcome to why I haven't spoken to my Buckster in over a week!" He tried for a cheeky little grin.

Steve gaped like a fish. “Tony—Tony you’re pregnant!? Holy shit!” Then, before Tony could get another word in, Steve started grinning mischievously, a twinkle in his eye. “I mean, congratulations! This means I’m gonna be an uncle? I. Oh, but I mean,  _ right _ ?” He leered down at Tony in question. 

“Seriously? Thanks but are we already forgetting me, Bucky, horrible avoidance?” Tony gulped.

“Hey, hey. Okay. Sorry.” Steve stepped away and reached out to take hold of Tony’s hand, squeezing it gently. “This makes so much more sense than Bucky’s belief that you hate him or something. I figured you guys were being stupid again as it was. Well gee, and here I thought you’d both made it past awkward kissing.”

Tony refused to blush. He decided not to ask what Captain America knew anyway, having heard about Steve and Natasha's escalator kiss and the apparently just as an awkward kiss with Peggy's niece, Sharon. Meanwhile, Tony and Bucky had at least been on a few dates. But that night, the night that they shared was magical. And, quite honestly very hazy at best. Who would've guessed Bucky's knock-off serum allowed him to still get drunk!? If Steve hadn't left to go break up whatever it was Clint and Thor were arguing about, their night of drunken sex might have never happened. (Tony regretted the drunken part. He regretted it happening so soon, while they were still figuring out what they wanted from each other, what they wanted in general. He could not regret getting pregnant. He couldn't.)

Steve listened attentively, insisting Tony eat while he was at it. "I can't say for sure what he'll think, or how he'll feel. I can't make any sort of guesses for him, but Buck and I have had our hardships and our secrets. This wouldn't have been the first for him, assuming he even remembers it. I can't even tell you what they decided on doing, in the end, but... You gotta talk to him, Tony. Tell him you're freaked out and that'll eventually let him know why, and that it's not bad. I don't think it's bad, at least."

"Right," Tony nodded. Nothing he didn't already know, mostly. Hearing that little tidbit from Bucky's past was new, but irrelevant. Bucky's memory could be spotty at best. "Friday take a message. Finding my phone might …take a little while."

—————

It took two hours and forty-five minutes to convince Dum-E to let him have his phone back, the damned brat. Tony was hardly mad, noting that isn't wasn't terribly damaged. He knew Dum-E cared about him and wouldn't ever mean to, the bot was often simply clumsy and overexcited. All of his bots, honestly, were clumsy but unbelievably caring, and that most of their accidents were created out of concern for him. It was why he tolerated their shenanigans.

Sometimes.

He'd been staying in his workshop continuously, tired of constantly waking up glued to the toilet. His sleep schedule was everywhere, but he was attempting to manage to wake somewhere around 7 am and then begging for the sweet release of death by 8 pm or so. Steve visited several more times, bringing with him hot water and lemon to help ease Tony's stomach. Occasionally he'd also bring Tony some saltine crackers to nibble on while he argued about Tony getting checked by the Obstetrician. (He hadn't told Steve that he'd hadn't even bother taking an at home test yet. That was an argument for another day.)

When Tony finally checked his phone, Bucky had already left him fifty-two messages plus the response to his message earlier via Friday. Sure, okay. Tony could do this.

(Tony procrastinated doing anything till the next morning.)

—————

_ I’m sorry I’m really not sure if a regularly stable person would be freaking out this much. _

He texted Bucky.

_ I’m worried about you. Steve won’t say anything. Says it’s between you and me. _

Bucky texted back. He didn’t sound angry, thank god.

_ Apparently, you’re sleeping at a decent time now? I’m gonna need you to stop fucking with my entire concept of reality. _

Tony laughed, quickly replying.

_ Tell Rogers he can shut up about that too. Anyways~ I’m feeling better. My stomach is being majorly temperamental and I wanna die but it’s still so so much better. Steve made me watch him drink my coffee tho >/ _

_ Good. I’m sending Steve back on over with a nice big steaming bowl of boring, plain oatmeal. _

Tony blanched.

He wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or hurt that Bucky didn’t offer to come himself. What was Bucky going to think otherwise, he thought to himself. It was his fault Bucky was feeling rejected.

_ Yum. Thanks, I guess? Hey, you wanna come by later? I really wanna explain myself. I’m sorry I’ve been such an ass this week. Don’t eat me? _

_ Not in the mood for ass today, don’t worry babe :D _

Tony allowed himself a tiny smile.

_ Do. Not. _

—————

Later had turned out to be one in the morning (Tony hadn't ever pegged himself a procrastinator before). He drifted in and out of consciousness, awoken occasionally by the whims of his stomach, and thus instead of plastering himself to the toilet located in his private quarters, he decided to plaster himself to the toilet he installed near his motorcycle collection in the shop. Because, why not? Nothing besides clear acid really came up, almost like his little one appreciated the food but wanted to raise hell out of sheer spite.

“Good on you, kid. Just like your dad, sticking it to the man.” Tony muttered right into the toilet. 

“Shit, Tony” Came Bucky’s voice, jolting Tony from his position.

Tony cracked a grin and quickly readjusted himself. “I feel awful,” He said. “But, to be fair, I probably look worse than I feel. I’m more concerned about, because. You know.” He gestured between them. “I didn’t mean to make you think I hate you or something. I’ve, I’ve missed you.”

“Come on,” Bucky kneeled down beside him, “I’ll never understand why you randomly put this here, your legs must be killing you.” Then Bucky proceeded to help guide Tony back towards his bed inside his little canopy of blankets.

"Do you …" Tony bit his lip, tossing around the pillows till he was good and comfortable again. "There's room for two if you want?" He asked, almost shy.

"Nah," Bucky shook his head no. "I'll just be in the way should you need to puke some more." Instead, he pulled over one of the various armchairs Tony had shoved near the mini-fridge. 

“So,” Tony tried once Bucky had gotten himself settled.

“So,” Bucky mimicked, looking slightly on edge Tony realized. He had stuck both his hands between his thighs, a habit he’d begin doing during their mandated Avengers group therapy. It was difficult for Tony to tell if it was because he was still overcoming being constantly cold, or if he was anxious. Who’s to say it wasn’t both, Tony cringed.

“I don’t know how to premise this, but,” Tony swallowed, turning his head away. “Pretty sure I’m pregnant. Ehe. What will the wonders of science come up with next!?”

Bucky blinked, his mouth going slack, “No kidding!? Shit, Doll—is this, I don’t know what to say. I should have realized.”

“I definitely should have realized,” Tony interrupted him. “We haven’t, uh, we haven’t gotten the chance to talk more seriously.”

“You don’t regret …”

“No! Never. The circumstances, certainly.” Tony said.

“Do you,” Bucky shifted, “Are you planning on keeping them?”

Tony forced himself to answer, “Yes.” He was trying to gauge how Bucky was feeling, but Bucky remained closed off, difficult to read. Tony couldn’t fault him for being overwhelmed.

“I knew Steve was excited about something, he was practically bursting at the seams. Amazed he made it this long with that shit-ass poker face he’s got.”

Tony let himself huff out a laugh. “I wasn’t planning on him being the first to know, really. At least not before you. I’m, I’m sorry about that.”

“Look, Tony, you don’t gotta be. I’d be kinda pissed if you didn’t tell Steve first..” Bucky’s expression grew pained.

“I—wait, why?” Tony was confused. “I planning on telling Thor, first, if we’re being completely honest.”

That made Bucky scowl.

“Do you not want the baby; is that it!? Because …okay.” Tony refused to panic.  _ He refused _ , dammit! "I speculated that this was how this was gonna go. Well, I'm still keeping them. I want them. I want them, so badly. Buck, you've got no idea!"

“No, I. I want you to have them. I want you to be happy, so, so much. I—,” Bucky moved to reach out and take Tony’s hand in his, but he hesitated, the light glinting off his metal fingers as he flexed them. “I think we might be better off as friends.” He cast his gaze downward. “It’d be, don’t you think, it’d be easier otherwise?”

Tony, dumbly, could only nod. "I, I suppose. I want you, I want you to be happy too." He threw on his media smile, his heart thumping violently in his chest as his body slowly became numb. Eventually, he said, "I think I'd like to be alone now." His eyes were brimming with tears as Bucky silently got up and left.

—————

He was miserable. He hated himself for letting Bucky just leave like that without a fight. They’d just start arguing, he thought bitterly. It was already difficult, trying to believe he deserved nice things every once and awhile. That he was a good person, that what he did mattered. That, most of all, he deserved to be loved and cared about just like everybody else deserved to be loved and cared about. He needed to remind himself this wasn’t about Bucky loving him. A few dates didn’t equate love, nor did bearing the man’s child.  He’d said he understood, and he did; it was just too soon. Bad timing.

“Friday, I don’t wanna be alone,” he said softly against his pillow. He’d been continuing to let himself wallow away, isolated from everyone else since Bucky had gone and left.

‘Mr. Rogers has suggested—”

"I don't want Steve," He rejected, "Steve'll just complicate matters. Like wanting to comfort me, batting those puppy-dog eyes of his right at me. Or he'll quietly threaten me because he can't slug me, me being a pregnant man and all, and then he'll comfort me. I really don't wanna be pitied right now." He sighed, and then said, "Schedule me to see an Obstetrician and get me Rhodey. Then find out whether Thor is still off world."

“Thor has not yet indicated when he is due to return. Doctor Banner, however, has informed me he shall be arriving at the facility by the end of the week.” Friday quickly responded, “Your appointment has been set for tomorrow, eight-o-clock on the ground level floor. Anything else I can do for you, Boss?”

“No, that’s good. Thanks, Fri.”

"You got it, Boss."

He supposed he could wallow in his misery for another day.

—————

_ I can smack him upside the head for you. _

Steve texted, breaking his silence. Hours earlier Tony had decided to sneak out and snatch himself a couple of Natasha's homemade biscuits. Friday had discerned the coast was clear, but apparently, Steve was improving his spy game.

_ No harm, no foul. _

He texted back. Then he chucked his phone across the room, bursting into a fit of giggles when Dum-E rushed over in an attempt to repair its scattered remains.

—————

Spotting the butter knife stuck on the wall was sure as hell a wake-up call, caffeine be damned. Tony was positive Clint was off somewhere arguing with his wife about their relationship or something of the sort. Then there was the yelling coming from the kitchen; clearly, Steve and Bucky having it out and Tony immediately felt guilty. “Guess a quick bite is out of the question.”

“Here,” Natasha said, appearing beside him in an instant with a plain bagel and a dollop of cream cheese. “You don’t need to be concerned about that, let’s just head downstairs to your appointment before this ends up distracting you and you miss it.”

Tony blinked. He certainly wasn't gonna question how Natasha knew he'd even had an appointment at all. (More like, he figured she'd been hacking Friday's servers, but that was their little secret.) "Sure, totally. Positive I can't have cream cheese." He gestured vaguely and allowed himself to be dragged off by the wrist into the elevator.

She directed him to go in first and quirked a brow. "Well, you can't say I didn't try. Give it to Bucky then." She said before she released his wrist and let the elevator doors slam shut.

“Excuse me!? Fri, open the doors so I can give her a piece of my mind!” He shouted, slamming onto the doors.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Boss. I happen to agree on the matter that you and Mr. Barnes should talk before it begins to ruin the team dynamic.”

“It’s not going to—ugh." He leaned back against the wall and started to massage his temples. Does no one realize pregnant people shouldn't be under undue stress? No, arguably not. What was there to talk about in the first place? Tony was gonna move on, work it out. He planned on staying friends with Bucky. (Stay hopeful.) Why couldn't he be allowed to hurt in peace? "So, how are we doing this? Over comm, in person, what?" He asked.

The elevator doors slid open for just long enough the both Steve and Natasha could push Bucky through, giving Tony his answer.

“Tony,” Bucky said, straightening himself out awkwardly. 

“James,”Tony shifted, crossing his arms. “It’s been recommended we talk. Which should be enlightening, seeing as the last time you ended up dumping me.” He said curtly. All the anger he’d been denying himself from feeling came bubbling up to the surface. No one said he had to be nice about this.

"You're mad. Course you're mad. I'd be pissed if I was you." Bucky rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't see how wise it is to trap us in an enclosed space once I tell you this is either."

“Well, then this is gonna be extra good then,” Tony groused sarcastically despite his genuine curiosity.   

Bucky flinched slightly, hesitating before he spoke, “I broke things off because I thought you wanted to be with Steve. You’re closer to him than I am. You’ve known him longer, and you’re so … you’re almost one person a lot of the time I’d almost be jealous. But I’m not. I never could be. I mean, Tony I adore you; how could I? Seeing you smile lights my heart on fire.”

Tony wanted to laugh. “Steve and I, we’re nothing but friends!” Then he paused. He knew what Bucky meant, the unique bond he and Steve were starting to share. They weren’t lovers, him and Steve. They didn’t kiss, they didn’t hold hands, at least not yet. But not because it was romantic, he didn’t love Steve like that. “We’re not that kind of in love with each other,” He decided to say. He was feeling slightly less angry, less hurt, when it abruptly all came simmering back in less than a moment. “Wait, are you insinuating I cheated on you, with—with Steve!?”

“I—” Bucky’s eyes widened. “I wasn’t, I didn’t.” He swallowed thickly. “No. I, I don’t know. I didn’t analyze it because it just doesn’t matter. It. It didn’t matter.”

“It should.” Tony snapped. “You matter too. Buck, God. That’s not okay, you can’t just assume something like that and then decide what’s best for me all on your own. That’s fucked up, is what it is. Haven’t I had enough people try to decide what’s best for me. Haven’t enough people already decided what’s best for you!? You have to talk to me. That’s what, this,” He gestured “team therapy, your therapy, is fucking for!”

"I was ashamed." Bucky blurted, casting his gaze towards the floor. "I was ashamed, alright. It seemed easier just to do it this way. To not have to face it or talk about it. I wasn't gonna Steve if he was in love with you, and vice versa. It's painful, sure, but I can do it. I thought I could, anyway. I've just gone and made a big fat mess of everything and worst of all I hurt you in the process."

“I was scared,” Tony said softly. Suddenly he was tired. “Here I thought you wanted nothing to do with me because you realized how …how different I was.”

"That you're trans? Tony, you really think Steve and everyone weren't gonna threaten me to the point of death in the hopes I wasn't some kind of transphobic asshole? I hadn't been familiar with the word at the time, okay. Steve and Sam had thrown me all sorts of information before I think I couldn't even get a word in with you alone. And, uh, I'm sure they didn't mean to explicitly out you, I now realize a little too late, but. I'd already known plenty of people like you back in the day. Lots of women had been infiltrating the army, way before the war, posing as men you realize right? They'd already been living full lives outside the army as men, what was the difference. The army was reluctant to out our female recruits for being gay because some many of them were, that's for sure too."

Tony would be lying if he didn’t admit to how relieved he suddenly felt, despite his anger. “I can’t tell if I feel worse or better. You do understand being gay and trans are not the same thing?” He lied regardless. 

“Yes. Sorry. I’m sorry. I should have told you what I was thinking. I’ve ruined my chances with you, haven’t I? I can accept that.”

“No, no you haven’t. This was a huge miscommunication issue. You’re learning. I’m learning. I’m willing to keep trying, but only if you work with me on it. Sounds like group therapy and your individual  therapy isn’t enough. We might have to start doing couples, should you be up to it. Or get someone to help mediate. Chaperone, maybe?” They could fix this, fixing things was Tony’s specialty, even during the times when he forgets.

_ I deserve to try _ , he thought to himself. He deserved to be loved, and Bucky had already admitted to caring about him. That's what he'd been wanting, what he'd been hoping for. They could get past this. He believed they could.

“You mean?” Bucky was awed.

“James ‘Bucky’ Barnes, do you wanna be my boyfriend, and do you promise to be with me when all this goes public, and when they put the cold gel on my tummy at the doctors?”

“You can bet your ass,” Bucky gave a small smile, stepping forward. “Can I?”

“Please,” Tony licked his lips, tilting his head up to catch Bucky’s mouth on his own, kissing him gently. The elevator doors pulled open, and all was quiet. They’d be sorting out the rest later.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoyed camichats, and of course everyone else too!!! I certainly enjoyed writing this despite the story taking the reins from me (as they like to do). 
> 
> The title is a lyric taken from the song _Trojans_ by Atlas.
> 
> Thank you to Bill_Longbow and Nix for being my betas!!


End file.
